Chapter twenty-two. This one is fun...

Raine: Oh, no...-Facepalm- What have you done now?

-Giggle- You'll have to see...

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Yes, this was a nice flower. He examined the tame blue petals as he carried it carefully through the streets of Meltokio. originally, he had simply wanted to check on Raine at this time in the late afternoon. However, if she was awake, he thought that a decorative flower might be...nice for her. Granted, she was not really an entirely feminine girl, but he was confident it would be a nice gesture.

Slowly, quietly, Regal opened the door to her room. He entered cautiously, just in case she was still asleep. He gave a start as his blue eyes fell upon...nothing. An empty bed, though looking somewhat disturbed. A piece of paper lying on the bed-side table. He approached it in puzzlement, and picked up the note. As he read it, the flower slipped from his somewhat slackened grip, and his forehead creased in a frown.

Fastened to said message was a small lock of opaline-white hued hair. And while the paper had only three words written on it, he knew immediately what it meant by, "Grand Tethe'alla Bridge."

"Raine..." Paper clenched in his tightened fist, Regal immediately left the building and then the town, headed for the bridge. Karla had shown her face again...She was once more using Raine as bait. And unfortunately, it could not posibly fail. He would never simply leave her, no matter if it put him in danger or not. He ignored the stares and quizzical looks he got from those he passed, in a hurry. They could wonder all they wanted - it didn't matter.

It wasn't too long before he saw the bridge stretching out in front of him, further than the eye could see. And likewise, it was not too long before he spotted who he was looking for - Karla. She was with the men, too. But his primary focus was the woman. Defiant expression etched onto his features, Regal strode toward them with utter determination.

"Master Bryant," purred the brunette, leaning against the side railing of the bridge, the deep, blue ocean spreading out on all sides around them now as he got ever closer. "I am rather glad you decided to come after all. It took you long enough."

"Where is she?" demanded the Duke, ignoring the game she wanted to lure him into.

"Where is who?" Karla's face was the epitome of childish innocence.

"Tell me. Now."

"Not very friendly. And rather impatient, too. David?" Karla looked over her shoulder, and both she and Regal watched as the auburn haired man tugged a very feebly protesting Raine into view.

"Regal," she murmerred, her voice still weak and shadowy. She was still in a weakened state - she shouldn't have been up at all. "You shouldn't...be here."

"Neither should you," he replied, somewhat drily. "Let her go, Karla. She is of no use to you."

"No use?" laughed the woman, incredulously. "On the contrary. She has been most helpful in this whole thing! For wherever little half-elf goes, loyal husband follows. Every time I get my hands on her, my eventual prize...is you." Karla smiled at him in a way that, on anyone else, might have seemed friendly.

"Let her go, now." He could tell how much this was effecting Raine. It looked very much like she was having difficulty just standing upright with any amount of independance. Regal took a step forward, ignoring the half-elf's look of pure dismay at what she evidently considered a foolish decision on his part. But he didn't regard it as such...It was his sworn duty to protect her. A feat which, thus far, he had not handled very well. But not this time.

Karla shrugged off her cape of blue, bringing out Deryn's trademarked weapon. The dagger, whose hilt was engraved with a tiger. "Regal, don't--" started Raine, but David's hand immediately closed over her mouth. Again, he ignored her warnings.

"Finally. We get to settle this once and for all, Bryant," growled Karla, raising the knife in a ready-position. "No interruptions. No disturbances. Just you and me, one on one. I'll show you that you can't get away with killing my baby sister. I won't let you." Her voice had become low and dangerous, a hissing growl.

"The death of another will not bring your sister back."

"Nevertheless, you will pay for what you have done!" she cried, running at him.

Regal lashed out with his hand, simply to stop her. She was smaller, though, and quicker. The blade caught his arm, ripping the sleeve near his shoulder and slicing a shallow, narrow gash in the flesh. He winced, gritting his teeth against the sting of his wound and doing his best to ignore it. He simply had to stop her...to incapacitate her long enough to get her imprisoned. But Karla seemed to have other plans.

She slashed the blade wildly at him, the monster within apparently loosed and runnng free. Her fuse had long since been lit, but now the detonator had been activated. He couldn't get through this treating the fight with caution. Shaking his head, he flung out his greaved foot to knock her back and away from him. Karla stumbled back, arm around her ribs as she tried to catch her breath. She fell against the railing, and a groaning sound startled him.

"No!" said both he and David at the same time, as the weak metal gave way, and broke. It had already been stressed, and by some stroke of horrible misfortune that had been the section she'd hit.

She screamed, having lost balance despite Regal's attempt to catch her before she fell. David was watching, his lips parted, and his eyes widened. Raine's expression was a bit less intense, but she was still obviously unhappy about what had happened. "What...have you done?" asked David, his voice gravelly with rage as he broke the silence that followed the scream.

Regal was at a loss for words. He blinked at the broken rail, at David, and then at Raine. She met his gaze, silent as he was. "An...accident," he managed at last.

"Accident," echoed David, now staring at Regal in mingled shock and hatred. "Are you satisfied now, Bryant? You've killed them both. You've sent both of them to their deaths."

"I...She fell..."

"Do you remember what you said to me, nine months ago?" David narrowed his eyes. "You said that I sent one of your 'friends' to an early death. I suppose with Deryn, it made us even, didn't it? Now, though...I do believe we have a score that must be settled. And the way I see it, there's only one way to settle it."

He had a horrible feeling in his stomach as he watched David walk toward the break in the railing, pulling Raine along with him. "No..." His eyes widened in realization. "You can't."

"I can, and I will. Say goodbye to your beloved wife, my lord. She will join the Salri's in their early graves!" shouted the other man, bending the half-elf out over the edge and forcing her to look down at the water so far below.

"Raine!" he said, alarmed as he saw the change in her weary expression. She was still weak and so couldn't struggle out of his grasp, but she was frightened. No matter how much she tried to disguise it, he knew that look. "Let her go..."

"I'd be glad to."

"No!"

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Cliff-hanger! -Evil laughter- Quite literally.

Raine: O.O Oh, my...

... ... ... -More evil laughter- Keep teh watching, if you dare! XD